Newport Dealeys 2010 reunion will be held on Sept. 30 to 3 Oct at the Marriott hotel in Mobile AL

Last update 1 September 2010

HOMEDE 1006DE 1014DE 1015DE 1021DE 1022DE 1027DE 1028DE 1029DE 1030
 

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Home of the Newport Dealeys

"Shipmates Forever"

This site is dedicated to the Nine Dealeys Class ships that were based in Newport Rhode Island from 1954 through 1973

USS Dealey DE-1006
USS Cromwell DE1014
USS Hammerberg DE-1015
USS Courtney DE-1021
USS Lester DE1022
USS John Willis DE-1027
USS Van Voorhis DE-1028
USS Hartley DE-1029
USS Joseph K Taussig DE-1030

 

 Please checkout our other web site Newport Dealeys. com

 

 





CHAIRMAN’S LETTER 2009

Veteran Brothers,

Can you believe that the eleventh reunion of the Newport Dealeys is already behind us? First there was Seekonk MA, then Lake George NY, Norfolk VA, Charleston SC, Lancaster PA, Newport RI, Jacksonville FL, Baltimore MD, Philadelphia PA, Nashville TN and now back to Norfolk VA in 2009.

I don’t know how you feel, but you all have become family to me and Sandy. We look forward to being with you for this short time every year. Chairing the reunions doesn’t leave much time for visiting, darn-it, although I did have so much fun and memories doing the job!

Most of us registered on Thursday, September 24th, at the Norfolk Airport Hilton, once again, just as we had done the first time in 2001 after the Towers were hit. Of course, 2009 was a much, much happier reunion. We were actually able to tour the largest naval base in the world both from land and the sea. The cooler, rainy, windy tour didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits, as there was plentiful laughing going on in that “good company” and it did remind us of our long past Navy days off Newport RI. A highlight of the base tour was a scheduled (but not publicized) stop at the base Commanding Officers building to view the ship’s bell of the USS Cromwell. Many USS Cromwell shipmates took advantage of this photo-op to gather and pose around the bell.

Friday’s dinner proved to be informative, when Bill Dudley, a former LTJG onboard the USS Cromwell, brought us up to date on a new memorial to the US Navy placed on Utah Beach in Normandy France. Bill enlightened us of the dedicated efforts and fund-raising it took to get the US Navy to be finally recognized for its roll in the D-day invasion,

A door prize raffle, which lucky attendees received some great gifts, provided us with lots of fun. The raffle was followed by a presentation by Marc Arsenault. He informed us of his investigative findings and the locations of some of the Newport Dealeys ships’ artifacts such as anchors, bells and other ship memorabilia that survived a bygone era and are now on public display.
Next year’s chairman, Ron Bauer, presented a sneak-peek into Mobile, AL for 2010.

Saturday provided an historic look at early America through Williamsburg VA plus the fascinating tour of the Mariners’ Museum and the Monitor exhibit, which is a tour in itself! The exhausted group managed to snap-to-it with clean faces for the photos before dinner and the wonderful speaker, LT. CDR. Kurt Mondlak, XO of the USS MAHAN DDG-72 accompanied by his wife Brittiany. He brought us up-to-date on today’s comprehensive & technical & tactical Naval Operations in the Middle East and throughout the world through his personal experience and inspirational slideshow. Makes one proud of our volunteer forces, doesn’t it? DJ Paul Bell got us up to dance the rest of the night.

Ron Bauer led the USS Cromwell Crew in our Sunday Morning Memorial Service just as solemn as it always was and should always be to tribute our fallen comrades. Saying goodbye is never easy but we look forward to some Southern Hospitality in Mobile 2010.

God bless you all with Fair Winds and Calm Seas.
Shipmates Forever

Jerry Skorch
Newport Dealeys
2009 Norfolk Reunion Chairman